Knee and head-block for saw-mills



(N0 Model.)

G. E. WILLIS & J. F. KEITH. KNEE AND HEAD BLOCK FOR SAW MILLS.

No. 426,895. Patented Apr. 29, 1890.

GEORGE F. WVILLIS AND JEHU F. KEITH, OF VILLAGE MILLS, TEXAS.

KNEE AND HEAD-BLOCK FOR SAW-MILLS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 426,895, dated April29, 1890.

Application filed November 4, 1889. Serial No. 329,150. (No model.)

To ctZZ whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that we, GEORGE F. lVILLIS and J EHU F. KEITH, bothresidents of Village Hills, in the county of l-lardin and State ofTexas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Knees andHead-Blocks for Saw-Hills; and we do hereby declare that the followingis a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which willenable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and usethe same.

Our invention has relation to improvements in knees and head-blocks forsaw-mills; and it consists in the improved construction and combinationof parts, as hereinafter more fully pointed out and described.

In saw-mills as now constructed the headblock is so located upon thecarriage that the projecting nose or point of the same passes withinhalf an inch (more or less) of the saw in feeding a log by, and thisprojection is often broken off by being struck by the log-turner, saw,an d saw-guide,and other projecting parts, and being so struck isdamaged and made useless, besides endangering other parts of themachinery.

The object of our improvement is to overcome the above-describeddisadvantage, and to accomplish this we provide the constructionhereinafter described, and shown by the accompanying drawings, in which-Figure 1 is a perspective View of the ways of an ordinary saw-mill,showing our improved knee and head-block applied thereto. Fig.2 is alongitudinal vertical section through the head-block and knee, showingthe supportingblock of the knee as pivoted within the recess thereof,the dot-ted lines indicating said supporting-block as swung forward, soas to pass over the pinion within the head-block when it is desired toremove the knee.

Like letters of reference are used to denote corresponding partsthroughout the entire specification and both views of the drawings.

Referring to the drawings, the letter A represents the head-blockprovided with the usual groove or way in which the knee is adjusted.This groove extends the entire length of the head-klock, so as to leavean open end, and thus permit the knee to travel beyond the same. It willbe seen on reference to the drawings that the head-block does notproject beyond the edge of the ways, but is of such length as to beflush therewith, so as not to present the exposed ends against whichproj ecting portions of the frame of the saw-mill,

proper are likely to strike.

Our improved knee is represented by the letter B, and is of the usualand well-known construction,with the exception of being provided uponits vertical face with a recess 1),

portion of the supporter, which is formed or provided with alaterally-extendin g lug 0, projectin g outbeyon d the head-block andadapted to support the log when the knee is adjusted so as to cut a verythin board. The knee can be arranged with the ordinarymechanism foradvancing the same, preferably the rack-andpinion movement. y

The advantages of our improvement are obvious. As is well known, thehead-block in present use is provided with a nose or projec tion whichextends out beyond the carriage, and therefore constantly exposed andliable to be broken off by being struck by the projecting parts of thesaw, saw-guide, &c., and thus rendered useless. By our improvement,however, it is not at all necessary to extend the head-block so as to beflush with the side pieces orways of the carriage-frame, andconsequently the only thing which is at anytime exposed is the lug orprojection of the logsup porter, and this only when the log has been cutaway considerably, so as to make it necessary to advance the samelaterally a sufficient distance to engage with the teeth of the saw. Itis also apparent that instead of employing a separate piece provided atits lower end with a projecting lug, the head-block may simply be formedwith a projecting lip cast integral therewith. This will of courseeffect the same function as a separate log-supporter, although thelatter is preferable,inasmuch as should the knee be formed with theprojecting lug or lip just described, in case of damage thereto theentire knee would be practically worthless and would necessitate thesubstitution of another in place thereof. For this reason the employmentof a separate piece is much more desirable, inasmuch as should anydamage ensue the knee proper may still be employed and the substitutionof a new supporter only be rendered necessary.

The object of pivotingthe supporter within the recess in the knee isthat as the knees of head-blocks are generally moved backward andforward by rack and pinion in some constructions of block and kneesitwould be difficult to use a lug without its projecting below the topof the pinion, and if screwed on, in such case it would consume too muchtime in removing the knee from the block. By hinging the piece, however,as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings,said piece is enabled to swingforward (indicated by dotted lines) and pass over the pinion, thusfacilitating to a great extent the removal of this part of the device,which of course can be replaced in the same way.

Having thus described our invention, we claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent of the United States 1. The combination, with a saw-millcarriage, of a head-block extending flush with the outer edges of thetracks of said carriage and provided with the usual groove or recessextending the entire length of said head-block, a knee sliding in saidgroove and provided on its front vertical edge with a recess, and alogsupporter pivoted at its upper end Within said recess and provided atits lower edge with a forwardly-extending lug or projection 0,substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, with a saw-mill carriage, of a head-block extendingflush with the outer edges of the tracks of said carriage and providedwith the usual groove 01' recess extending the entire length of saidhead-block, a knee sliding in said groove and provided on its frontvertical edge with a recess, and a logsupporter fitting flush withinsaid recess and provided at its lower end with a forwardlyextending lugor projection, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our own we have hereuntoaflixed our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE F. WILLIS. JEIIU F. KEI'II I. Vitnesses:

HENRY MILLER, GEO. O. OBRIEN.

